"Short Stories," Talladega County

Folder contains 31 pages of Alabama short stories compiled by Noma Dobson for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the late 1930s.• March 4, 1939 ~ ra. -r~A. Ogletree, "'ain street ylacauga, Alabama Bees • I I Sr. , \ \ BEES Noma Dobson, Talladega sylacauga County Ne raised every eat...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Format: Electronic
Published: Alabama Department of Archives and History
Subjects:
Online Access:http://cdm17217.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/wpa/id/846
Description
Summary:Folder contains 31 pages of Alabama short stories compiled by Noma Dobson for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the late 1930s.• March 4, 1939 ~ ra. -r~A. Ogletree, "'ain street ylacauga, Alabama Bees • I I Sr. , \ \ BEES Noma Dobson, Talladega sylacauga County Ne raised every eatable thing possible on the farm. Cotton was our cash crop to pay taxes, oh11dren's sohool expenses and dootors' bills. To oat we raised oorn, oats, fruits, wheat, vege-tables, sorgum, and ribbon cane syrup and honey. We had twenty-five or thirty hives of bees. I had the full c re of thElll. ~e had old fsah10ned gums, gums about a foot square and three ~e~t high with no bottom or top to them. The only en­trance to these gums was an 1noh wide slit at the bottom on the south side. These gums were set on planks in rows on a benoh in the garden or orchard or around the well house. A square 11ank a little larger than the gums was plaosd on eaoh gum. At the edge of my garden were sever apple trees. I put my be gums there. To keep cator-pillara-out of ths honey I would lift up the gum, sweep the plank Clsan and sprinkle salt on the plank whsre the g was to rost. I did this about once a month. We didn't have inseot1c1des and eprays that we have today, but sOlt is a good d1sinfeotant and kee e the honey free from worms and oat er-pillars. The beee eat the ealt too. During warm weather, bees find plenty to eat from flowers but in dead of Winter, I fad mine so there would be honoy to rob in aroh. llost folks did not feed their bees so they lived on the honey stored by thorn for u1nter food. I wanted that honey myself so I fed the bees to keep them from sating their nnt er supply. I fed them st owed dried 1'eaohew or arIles and often I Vlould put water in syrup to thin 1t out so ho bees feet and Wings would not get stuck in it and feod that to t e • • Bees How they did eat it. In the morning after the sun was high, I would taks my dish of stewed fruit or plate of thin syrllp to the bee game end knock on the side of the gum. The bees would oome swanning out end sottle on me--in my hair, on my shol.lldsrB end anns--just as thick as t ey could stiok. Then, when I would put down the dish of food they would drop at once to it. In just a fow days it wouJ.d all be gons end I would fiJI: thOOl some more. No, the bees never stang me. _ ey would sting my husband but no bee ever stung me and I tended bess for forty ysars. They just knew me and I understood them end we got along peaceably always. We robbed our bees tw~cs a ysar, in 'arch end again in Jllne. ~he honsy that we took fro the gums in March was so much thicker than that taJ>:en in June but the June honey was sweeter. In a dry spring. in ay thore was honey dew for the bses. What is honey dew? It looks liks whsre Sl eet water has been,it tastss as slIset as honey. I would pass by and see a bse sipping honey dew from a leaf. I would enjoy breaking off a lsnf and tasting it myself. In dry springs Ollr gums would be hsavy lith the best honey flavored with this honey dew. When the bees swann, I would go to where ths new swann settlod, sl.ake it off into my apron and take it to the gum pre­pared for it. I wo uld shake the swann 0 ut of my apron right in front of this gum and the bees would go into their now homea With­out any trouble. Ly husband and I often got a two gallon bucket­ful rom one gum hen the t 1me caoo to rob it. The honey ,as pac'e1 'bove and below lhs cross-piece that Me had ut in tho middle 01' the gum for the bees to n'.;tnch t e Lonoy. .0 rob the bess ,I l'Iouli bbow t~ smolrll fror.l burning cotton r s into the 1939 • • O&1etree Olin. a Dobson. )'1 oaag sa OOllntl r. re. T.A. 0 etr e r. 11 e on • as hiB 1 00.0 of the better reel tlll1 Belttlon of tho to • the lot of groQnd b t the • .....t.re::r..- are p ~od. opt"\. he tree • Ban hrabB are well he hoa .helr ho e1ll ~ 0 of the nelghborhood oro brlo); Taneer. It ttraotlTO. t be roo tho JIJ t eir fo er home .88 in a eto ell the furniture Detro)' • n~ orn fomitare 111 1n OT rl roOIl of the hoa e--four po tor b • T&nitl. ohoat of rll,were in the bod roOll1 ; oTer etuffe ealt in the 11n ro • In tho 11T1 roo 1 rJ. 0 a o blnet At tit rll:ont d 8 all PUoo R 10. he floora aro well ned lind opt. .her 1 e rag 1n tho 11Ti ro cn oaoh b - r • Frett, oartll1ne e t J.l the in 011'11. 'Pho ehrobllr)' arollIl4 the ho e 1B t weU ed. 'Phero tirO 1 flo er, plantB d ehru • JJ.lbat threo of theee woro rooto bl • • 0 etree. • " , •• • " \ \ " arch 4. 19.39 llr. r .A. Ogletree Sr. Main Street. Syl ac aug a. .Alabama phyeioal description Noma Dobson. Sylacaaga Talladega County • PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION r. Ogletree is tall. haa broad shonlders and a well proportionsd body. Althoagh he is eighty three years old. this age shows very lit­tle, a slight stoop to his shonlders. a slow. carefnl sta) in walking. he ases a stick for walking always. His hair is sandy gray but hs's getting bald on top. He has a long. narrow faoe. small eyes bat a kindly understanding look in them. He is Slightly hair-liJ\ed on the opper lip on the right side of his moath. His tiieth are ont and ho refushes to wear a false plate. Hie complextion is of a healthy oast. His voioe is soft and gentle bat his enunciation is clear. When he is thinking or listening to the radio)he runs his tongne over his upper lip, from side to side ~ if hetwere nervons. He dresses nsatly and llnabtrusibely. He stays clean and seems to take great prids in his personal appearanoe. His son takes him to the barber for a shave three and four times a week. He gets a hair cat oft en. • Sinoe he has diffi4nlty in bending to tie his shoes, he wears a o· sort of a hoase shoe that has"elaatio band in the sides. These shoes , have substantial soles thoagh Wld are comfortable for walking. Dependability ie hie ruling charaoteristic • , .• : I noma Dobson, aJ.Jdxlga County sylacauga. llabama • LOGROLLING From the beginning of the settlement of llabama by the white people. fanners had- had little cash to pay for help on the farm. To overcome this difficulty the farmers of the neighborhood have exchanged days work with each other when some work that required many people ...as needsd on the flUill!!,work like house raising. log­rolling and corn husking. Just after I was married. one ysar I furnished a worker for thirty two ~ogrollings. Sometimes I couldn't go to the logrolling .. • mY~lf but if I couldn't. I sent a strong negro man to work in my n ... .,.~, ~ ~ ... ()". ~ ;.......~-t:> ~~~oJUI~ ,~ place. 'L , ~ ,,;Et: ~ <>A ~" .... -, ..A 0<>"'= \ . ..- ~ (j- ......., 'V 1\ 9 .• ,.,) o...-.~ at is a logrolling? Well. you know of course, that when white folks settled lla-barna. farming was the best way and abo.ut the only way to make a dependable living--anY',ay all of us, fll.iW even if we had a store or if we ran freight or swapped horses or deaJ.t in cat:tle. Reo al­ways fa ~oo. As farmers in those days. our first big job was to clear the land of tho ~st. III the first ysar that I farmed for myself. I spent the time that I could spare for othor farm work cutting down trees and clearing nell ground for corn field. Corn was my big foed crop and it mado better on new ground. Of course there were many more lar e trees on tho land thr.t had not boen cleared bsfor~ but I cut then down .ith an ax or hired a man to help me saw them down ,ith & oross-cut sail. Aftor a tree had faJ.len I "-ould cut aJ.l the limbs off and 1110 them up to dry so that I could burn them later, but I oouldn't move the big fr.J.len tres • , trunk by myself. 'fl'"-r ........­Noma Dobson, 1'al~sga County sylacauga en I had cleared a few acrss and had trimmed and burnod all the brush, I would have my farmer neighbors in to -\., help me roll thess big logs in' a pile so I could burn them and "\ get them out of the way before spring plOWing time. Yes I know it was a waste to burn the logs, but I had all the firewood I nesded at the house and I couldn't sell ths timber, so I just burned it. Yes, we cert ainly did have good t imos and did lots of work on logrolling days. he men would gathor early in the morning and pair off and begin to move the logs. e had to work in pairs to do this heavy work. ,aoh pair ould have a stout hickory pole to roll the log on. On long, big logs sevoral pairs would help to roll the log on to the est pile to be burned. hickory poles and to carry it to the near-l. J- 1'his was heavy tircsomo work ·end we were yOl1llg anll strong and the wenther was generally cool. With all of us working together we would get lots of logs piled up by the mid­dle of the day. By that time we would be so hungr..ry that the call to dinner was never are welcomo to a bl1llch o~ men I'm sure. On these 10 rolling aays, e wives of the logrollers would • come to help the lady of the hou e to cook the dinner and to ouilt. ror days before the logrolling the wife had been cooking c&?es, pies, custards, meats of various kinds, so 0": th~. ~~ ~':l-th;Ci!~f~t~e~ , was little cooking except making CO~f~'~Ao be done. As thr..t was no tasr for a bunch of f WOffion they generally ryuilted a bed-quilt or tw~""f~~~;of tho house .... ~ - c(,L, I .~- 1'0 get ready for the quilting, my wifo had out of scraps left from making our clothes and pattern she had selected. Sometimss she would 1.1~~,.t~e quilts made ..<nto SOCle pretty piece ~uilte of sev- • • ~~ Noma obson, aJ.ladega OOlUlty Sylacauga eraJ. patterns from the same bag of scrape,-first a pattern calling for large scraps would be selected and mr.de--then from the smaJ.ler scraps she would iece a string quilt. Well, after she had these patterns for the qUilt tors she would get her bag of lint cotton saved from last f~lls co.ton picking for this purpose ani card batting or ootton riller for the qUilt, T .is oarding of the ootton consists of taking two hand cotton kneaders or cards and working the cotton lint over and ovor lUltil it becomes thin and light of weight and free from 1 wnps. into a cotton bLt--or a smooth downy layer o~ cotton about the size of a wooden shingle that we use to oover our houses. After the carding of the ootton bats for the ~illa'" of the quilt, there was the lining to prepare. This was generally some plain, strong mater-iaJ.. hree widths of thie cloth Wll3 sewed together to make a linin for the quilt. For tho quilting the lining was sewod to four quilting frames which were clampod together at the four corner and swung from tho ceiling. After the lining of the quilt • was seourely and evenly =astenod to the frames by sewing thread throu~h holes in the 4 r ames to the lining the cotton betting was laid one bat thick, to cover all the lining exce¥t a small border left on aJ.l four sides for finishing purposes . After the batting was laid, tho piece top was sfread on this and secured to the frames. ow the qUilt was ready for the quilt-ing and aJ.l the 10 rollers wives carne and brought their thimble anl sci.sors. '"'he lAdy o~ the house furnished needles and thread and explained whethor she w~tod the (each pieco of the quilt to be sewsd ~ ilesign. 1uil t ing done by the .' iec".e-t....t1,. by its own design) or by ~; • • Noma Dobson, alladega Sylacauga \JL.y-{-J County The 1uilters would eit down, three to each side of the qUilt. Then they would begin ark and would quilt as far as tho could re ch. hen the quilted part was rolled up and the;. art to be uilted boardered the frames again. is process WFJ! followed until the qUilting bee was done. It is al ays fan for friend" to work together in thc.t way. ~he women had such 00 t imos quilting and exchanging no s items and Hf~erent ways to oook and new patterns for the ohil,irens clothes. At dinner time the women and man ;0 lted and 1 au hed with eaoh other whi~e the non ate an1 the WOMen ~assed the different things to eat to them. JllSt before or just aftar "-inner a jug of whi \1tY ae l~cneroJly pa3sed to tho r.Jon. Po~t of them would take s1lig at the jug but none ever got 1runk. After the men had orten and h I;on o b' 0" to . 0 rk, the omon would .1ettle daVin to the table to 6ft r.n' talk lcisurel ani to ~eed the 'small children. The older gi~ls who h~t corne ith their mothers, looked after the children and at dinner waited on tho womon tt the tEble then hile the lit-tle on~s slept aftor their noon llJ feed, theso girls would eat and wash up the dishes and set the table 'or sUl'POr. "he lo~rollora most always worked la, e and ate supper before they went home. On some ocoasions the old folks stayed on after supper and sat rround wr.tohing the young folks dance sq uare danoes and 1'1 ay games. Befors midni ht the orowd would go home, tired but happy over havin done so muoh work. ovor tho things they had learned from the orowd that day and over tho goo i t lmes thoy had had. .oet of ths • l \ \ 'arch 7, 193 ', r. J.'''. orl139 park street Sylacauga. Alaboma CO RN HU3ZIrG' COm: HUSKInG 1'om Dobeon. sylacauga 'l'alladega County Cotton has not alwaye been the big a.rop in the South. von as late as nineteen hundred oorn was the big -orop. Corn for food for tho family. for the poultry. tho stock and the pigs. It took lots of corn for the farmer to operate on. III tho fall when the corn was ripe the fodder was striped from ths stalk. tied in bundles and stored in the barn loft for roughage for the stock during the winter season whils pasturage was low. Later when the corn had dried o•n the stalk and was ready to be stored for the Winter. It was pullsd from tho stalk and loaded into wagons to be hauled to the barn. There it was left in a pile on the ground out side the lot near the corn field, where it wa.a to be stored for the winter as soon as it was shucked or the huek removed. The shuoking of the uorn takes lots of t 1me. As so Cluch corn was raised 1:iyl"Bsch famer, it was noone man's job to husk it. This husking of the corn was usually an exouse to give a big COCl­munity party. • JUll1: after the negro were given their freedom in the Souththey ~ere often invited to white folks hus~inga. In 1676 a neighbor of mine, Ur. John A. Sears gave the last husking whero the negroes came, in our community. Tho white folks of the community were asked to oome to his farm for the husking of his oorn orop of about four hundrei bushols. The crowd gathered sometime before sun down and beforo dusk the negroes were at the husking. The negroes sat on the ground ul around the pile orking in good natured rivalry to see who oould husk the fRst-est and who Would find the first red ear of corn. • • • Corn Husking At the top of the pile sat the negro who was the leader of the husking. He kept things Khooped up good fashion6d with his joke cracking and with his simple railery. AiJ the huskers got into the swing of the work, the picking up the ear, the tearing off the husk, the putting the husk in one pilo and the corn in another, the leader would hist or raise atune. He would generally start a spiritual known and loved byall the nogroes. The workers would join in on the sOn~. would sway from side to side. would go through motion of the husking in perfect rythycl. There was great excitement when an ear of red corn or a red ear as they called it, was found. There are several traditional customs concerning the finding of the red ear. One is that the first to find a red ear can stop work with their hus~ing. Another oustom concerning it is that the finder of the red ear gets a dram, or a drink of Whisky. ,r. Sears had iven the leader on the top of the pile a gallon jug of whisky for these drams. (rn one community where the white men husk the corn, ths finder of a red ear was supposed to be given a kiss by the lady of his choosing.r Several negroes had been appointed to store the corn in the crib and ths husk in the loft of the barn. The white folks stood around assisting at the barbacue Vits visited with each other. As darkneSS came on, bonfires were built all around the grounds, adding another note of festivity to the SCene. No one ate supper un­til the last ear WaB husked and stored in the crib. Then the negroes st art ed to ohant ing • "Where's Mr. Sears. Dram Oh Dram • here's lJr. Sears, Dram Oh Dram r. Sears came, was put up on the shoulders of the negroes, much as in the manner of a football hero being carried from the ball field. - • • • Corn Husking and er.rried to the baek poreh of the llig House. 3 Here Yr•• sears stood on the porch and made a speeeh of thanks that delightod his colored friends soule, ,gave thom jugs of whisky. While the negroes gathered around the bonfires enjoying the whisky. the white folks were invited into the dining room for the pienic supper. rhis was served by the negroes on the Sears' plantation. Soon all was ready for the negroes feast, and what a feast for them it was. Foor folks, since freedom had come for them, they had not been able to fend for theme elves nor to live 88 well as they had whon they lived with "Ole So when they crere inVited to white folks huskings you can just bet that everyone ofnthem came. It seemed so like old times to be eating good things from white folkS kitchens. There were varations of the observing of a corn husking just as there are of many customs. On some occessions only the white people were invited and the white men husked the corn. The last husking that I gave was in 1898. I invited my white friends to help mo dO'~he husking. I had somethin over nineteen bushels of corn plied up out side my crib. Before I tarted the pUe, I put a five gallon jug of good Whisky on the ground and plied corn on it. This was the prize for which they worked--to shuok tho oorn and to throw it in the crib as fast as they could so that they could get that jug of whisky. hat pile of corn never would have been finished if it had not been for that :ug. I had soveral little jl1gs of whisky for there was a large crowd and I knew that there were lots of red ears in the pUe. Every time a red ear was found the finder was given a dram. Yet no one got drunk that night. We were there to work and to have a good time. That nineteen bl1shels of corn wae hilsked and stored the call f~Dm Ol1r women folks to supper. in my crib TI Then oame • 5 John K. ol.'wen "One ot the longest trip. that 1 have taken •• that to .Uulaloo-the land ot the mld-nigllt .un and the."rora ~e&l1a are two at my fin.st mlllllOr1a.. From "'l&llla, I brougllt wolverine fure for my wife, a four-dog .1. team carved in an ivory tuale and .everal ivory to tec> pole.. ·.1han I to my triend., I can recall vivid take them out at my display case and ..:plain them emor1o. of th~~ and color. at the 41lJrora A;!cr-ealis aB it I had ••en them ye.te~." • .n I IIIIl near a mu••um, I have .pant Bome tlJoe .tudying the ex1b1hitl ther •• - I think that my tiret visit to the ~ith.o~7&lhington, D.C. gal'. me the Idea at collecting erioan IndIan r.llo.. I eaw th.re that they ere oonsidered at great in.- teraat and at great importance. ....id. from my home and my bu.lneBB I Jav. had ma~ lnter ••t., ridd.n m8~ hobbl••--colleoting Indian r.lics. explaining them and the Indian. v1a..-point to those who have vhlted my ourio Ihop has be.n on. of my greater intorests for the last for" year." • ..- Thoma. oJ.dory Owena, then in oharge at the J.I&lIUik DEPART:.lENT OF ARCHIVES AIiIl HISTO Y'l .tated that my county. Cooea, _. richer in Indian .nver than a"lY oth.r in "'la""-.. I d.termined to g.t that Indlan .Uver tor my oollection. Gradually it be- ...fl CUI. known that I •• buying Indian rellc.. It a farmor Plo....d,a pic.of metal he orou@i1t it lo.... It it WIl. a pilo. that I r.cognlled or ooUld identify q, my Indian Bnoyc16ped1a a. gennlne American Indian, I bought It. If a f1aherman 1bUnd piace. '1'L. waalled up on see- banIa ,that proved to be of Indian origin. ~ bought~. I did a good bit ot diggIng II\1s.1t, att.r I had located s.veral former IndIan vIllage .lte•• One of the greatest tDrllls that I have had, Cllllle accIdentally one ~ whne I WIle f1sn1.ng wIth lIlY grand children. Tom and JUl1a Donald. e were walkIng down a .. od- ,. look'. • • John X. oEwen " 6 • 1 with a .Uwer orown on it--sh••tarted to it. I cautioned her not to touch it. II thoui'P I alreaely h..... two sUvsr crowns of Amer iean Indlsns. I ad nsvar h.ard of one b.l.ng :ll und on the .1;.11. I was d.term1lled to get th1s ons on the s~ll\ if I could. J. recent tlood had uncovered the slt.!>ll down to the ears. One ear­ring was visabl•• I soratched alV und the other .id. of the .~l and found the oth.r ear-ring. .n I .tapped back and paid aw tri but. to this chief of our land in by-gone- dqs. 'Chlef, I .ee that you u. 'urpris.d and ue ..,ndering .mer. your people are, your brave _rrlora and your pretty maidens, you don't Be. anyone that you know. Partner, you have be.n lying there asle.p for IllOre than on. hundred and twenty flve year. and in the m•• Mhll. aw people hav. banish.d your people to Ok1al1ona .m.re the sun n ..er. grow, 'SIler. the white larks ny.'·' "I've tried aw be.t to .ave the ....ull and to ke.p the band of sUver that had b.en th1s Indian ohlet' a crown al~s on it, but at the aUght••t touch, the ~ crumbl.d. :rr0lll tbat grave, I colleot. two long guna som. beau, and .om. small pi.ce. of poter!'J. SO far as I k.Dow I have all the Indian .11ver and other Indian reUc. that have been located in aw part of the count!'J. For mal\Y years, • owens ILnd later s. Owns have been inter••ted in aw coll.ction and have tri.d to buy aw Indian r.Ucs for the D..partm.nt Of Arch,..•• and Histo!'J. I kn.w of the orowd.d-nousl. ng condition of thb D.partm.nt, but finally premi••d that if adequate .pac. and faoHiti.. for the car. and di.plaT of r:ry coll.otton ware prOVided that I would gin GQ.(.... _ aw Indian relic. to the .tate.' Th. new l:lIIDor1al building in ntgOllllt!'J 10 to be the P9?manent home of thi.. Departm.nt and I have glv.n aw Ill4ian reUo. to the Department Of Archives and 111.to!'J. Th..e relios are to be arranged by me ln the John X. McEwen Room in thlo bullding. c.rs. Owen. asked "'e to write a ded icat10n Of the.e relio.. I jl&ve her the following, •To the memo!'J of the people of yesterday """1O.e huts Ue orumbled in the dust A Tribute T. Mr. and Mra. Joitn K. McEwen Chriat.... 1938 To oue oldest native born citizen Roekford would pa today And pay to you our tribute 10 a very humble way. • "'Ve live in deeds. not years," As the poet says, is true But we behold this combination When we find them both in you. For as we bear expressions • From the people of Coosa's land We know that many bave benefit­ted By the bounties from your band. In providing community Christmas trees You once bad a very great share And for all of these activities i We want you to know that we eare. YCVlc Art coUectioDs have been enjoyed By persons-many a score, And we know in ·the Archives of History They will delight 80 many more. The Woman's Club always appre­ciates Your help in 80 many ways Its members have enjoyed YOlir handiwork For quite a number of days. When ODe visits Sears Chapel or your home And views the work of your hand He realizes this work is an expres­sion Of a very talented man. We wish for you and your dear wife Who has helped you on your way Many, many happy returns Of this glad Christmas Day. • -The Rockford Comm\lnity. • • -- ahn L '0 :wen II 'Aen I I 9 born, m;y Gran otner tie&r8 said of met~ t states..or 0 8 ~ en, I ele born w1t11 a ve11- e w111 have more v1010n more 1n.1~t 1nt~ the f'uture than hbve twa. tare })ort. without the veil'. III don't know th t I have had more visl n t I ot~ers. I ~va train d .el! to take the long look, to plan ref'ully for tne • I knOw to t I nave 11ttle time yet to 11ve, .0 I h~ve ~et my uouse in order, I ve dlvloeu rldly goods ..... 0 ve g1ven 1t to toose 'I!l'D I 9Iso to n ve it. I wanted to Bee olj,lldren er.joy1ng hat I CIl uld g 1\8 tn • .. 0 r:::;f I,,;. ue;..lter , o 11., I have left me • to kee,t 1t ju t as it 1s now, after I am rone. I o1gilt uti t to feel at ,,008 e I 00 I. u :r ..o.d .. rs _cE n e l0tlt: been ".lreol.:1ted I- t s, t the .Jl" 0 e;ram by the •.oollford '.to.1 I .I1ub e 1s to live in 1t and want to oome beck", metime in their oom=nJ.ty• t ~le 00 ~lty ~ 8 tree l..(,J ot a, pre.1 t ion of them s,;1"'1(:1:. ""hIe oem was ri t tea by 1 s .. 0sl. _llalr. oe 00 io s to11owo- •